To facilitate simultaneous operations from Yelahanka air base and Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday took a major initiative to co-locate IAF radar controllers with Airport Authority of India (AAI) radar controllers at KIA.
According to a PIB release, this initiative is the first of its kind in the country where military and civil radar controllers are being co-located to provide radar control services within respective airspaces.
Co-location will facilitate dynamic co-ordination between the controllers, which will not only enhance the safety of operations but also ensure exploitation of the second runway at KIAB to its full potential.
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Further, the release stated that IAF conducts ‘ab-initio’ flying training for its fledgling aviation on transport aircraft and helicopters at Yelahanka air base adjacent to KIAB. The close proximity between Yelahanka and the new runway at KIAB requires aircraft from both airfield to fly accurately was done to ensure that specified minimum radar separation between two aircraft was not infringed.
The release said that a Joint Working Group (JWG) was constituted by Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) comprising members of IAF, AAI, BIAL and MoCA to formulate procedures for safe conduct of operations without compromising on civil/military operational requirement at both the airports.
The JWG held several meetings in the last few years to gradually evolve safe operational procedures. It was ably supported at the apex level by Air Headquarters and all stakeholders.
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The release said that KIAB was among the fastest growing airports in the world and it was estimated that 65 million passengers per annum will use the airport as a transit point by 2024-2025. The key to handling the forecast growth of civil aviation is the second runway made operational recently at KIAB with the active support of IAF.
IAF has been at the forefront in all discussions with a positive approach in sharing of airspace, co-location of radar controllers and formulation of safe procedures. It had also transferred a large portion of its airspace to KIAB earlier to facilitate operationalisation of the first runway at the international airport, the release said.